The Nest
by Cosmicboy
Summary: Scotland, A stalker returns from action with grave tidings. His true purpose is secret to all but one. From the depths of a fortified bunker a quest shall be taken, one forged from desperation and madness.
1. Chapter 1

_ 28/09/2012:intro/updates_

_This is the first chapter of a short story im currently writing based in the Metro-2033 universe._  
_My knowledge of Metro-2033 comes from the book not the game but that shouldn't be of issue with this Short story._  
_If you guys like or wish for more I will continue as best I can._  
_Any tips, advice or errors noticed in this piece please feel free to PM me,it would be much appreciated._  
_I appologise for not releasing more then the first chapter so far for I struggle to find the free time to write, but there will be more._  
_Thank you for looking._

30/09/2012: I have now completed chapter 2 enjoy ;)  


Brief description

METRO-2033 Universe - The Nest

Scotland, A stalker returns from action with grave tidings.  
His true purpose is secret to all but one.  
From the depths of a fortified bunker a quest shall be taken, one forged from desperation and madness.

* * *

METRO-2033 Universe: **The NEST**

1.

To describe life in a cold war bunker as dark and hellish would be an injustice to all those millions who were trapped above in the real darkness slowly dying or becoming something other.  
I do not remember clearly a time before the event, I know of it and listen to the old songs of a sky once clear and pure and a land once nutritious and fertile. But these rhymes are but myths to a man who has grown slowly through time either unsure what is day or what can be called night. The fear though that eats at my soul is not the unknowing but that it no longer matters. When did I lose this part of my humanity or did I ever have it? My ceiling is my floor, my east is my west and Scotland is nothing but four concrete walls.

I sat with my back pressed against one of several girders that lined the right side of level 3. I was in the sleeping quarters watching over the younglings, our future, but what future they or any of us could look forward to was hard to imagine outside of the bunker. I was nearing the end of my final night shift and would normally be looking forward to three weeks back on day cycle but my life had taken an unexpected turn this very night.

It had been said that when the bombs fell few had known or knew what to do. Those that did ran for the bunkers. Kids, grandparents, soldiers it was a first come first served basis. After the initial chaos order was quickly established as the smartest, oldest and most powerful amongst us began pulling the reins. Over time they would come to be known as the elders amongst the kids of level 3. It was thanks to them that we were permanently stuck down here, waiting for our time to rise up and be accounted for.  
The Elders were wise. In an attempt to protect us as much as possible from the lethal levels of radiation brought on by the nuclear winter they restricted access to the upper levels for all below their mid-twenties, as this was the period a human being was considered to be most vulnerable to cell mutation. Level 3 was all any of us ever knew of the world, and it was not much to ponder over. It mostly consisted of sleeping in groups at night to keep warm and the days, well; they were mostly spent listening to the elders who would stop by to educate the young ones through the use of salvaged books and open discussions on history and the outer-world. Other activities that could be achieved was exercise, basic self defence, survival skills if a Stalker (a name given to those that dared to travel across the waste lands for food and resources) was around and had the time to visit us in the lower levels. It was extremely rare for a stalker to even be at the bunker so when one happened to make their way down to level 3 everyone would quieten down and make their way beneath the only still functioning emergency light and huddled together in a tight circle at the stalker's feet, each eagerly clinging to every word he spoke. I never quite understood why such an important individual would want to spend their valuable free time with a smelly bunch of irritable and depressed youths but I was always grateful for it.  
It was the stories of the wasteland we truly cared for, not the life saving skills we may one day need to employ in order to survive amongst the savages. The tales of near death escapes particularly thrilled and scared the youngest amongst us. As for myself I always listened in for the hope of hearing about those rarest of things, mutants. This night I had been in luck.

"That's right kiddies, Beasts with wings of dark leather, tall as all four levels they are but swift and agile as bats, man eaters! I've seen them with my own eyes swoops in over the cliffs and snatch a savage right of the beach like an owl clasping a field mouse unawares." Rae paused, took a deep breath and looked heartily into the eyes of all the gasping children at his feet. "The screams, screams no man should hear, where they take their kill we do not yet know but soon we'll find their nest, soon they will become the prey, soon."  
A young child, Jacob seven of years shifted nervously before my feet, Rae noticed.  
"What bothers you boy? You've got nothing to fear here, your safe beneath the earth, don't you forget that. There are many men above with many guns watching over us, you have nothing to fear. Trust my words boy we'll kill these beasts no matter what it takes." Little Jacob sighed heavily and tears were forming in the corners of his eyes.  
"Why are they here? Who sent them?" said Jacob who had never seen the Sun never mind some mutant creature that hunts men beneath the black skies.  
"To hunt, eat and multiply, that much we know, everything else is, well... speculation. All we can truly say is that the first one we ever saw was seen approaching us from across the North Sea up at Crail, the old outpost. East Europe is a safe bet as much death rained down on those old soviet silo stations."  
The boy seemed to be trying to take it all in rocking back and forth. Later that night he would wake crying the words "_four levels tall, four levels tall._"  
Rae ended the meeting right then. Standing up he began going through drilling the younglings with memory rhymes. "Suspected of contamination what do we do?" he would order motioning with his hands for them all to reply in unison._ "STOP-STRIP-SHAVE-PRAY" _would come the response with little melody and chime.  
I had long since dismissed myself but could still hear _STOP-STRIP_-_Shave_... as it echoed along down the black tunnel creating a ghostly loop as it rebounded on itself at the far end where I sat alongside my true friend Robbie peddling away in the ventilation room. We were both of the same age and the last of the original baby dwellers. Together we did our shift on ancient bikes that were fixed to the ground and converted at the rear. The rear wheel had become the largest cog on a pulley system that turned the gears in the large green cylinders. The stale air would then circulate through the vents between floors three and two where a similar machine would do the same for floors two and one, and finally to one and zero which was the main processing facility. This in turn would filter fresh out from the poisonous wastelands while disposing of the stale air back into the atmosphere. It was a simple but brilliant system but required constant man power.  
The cycle bikes were originally the backup system to the giant reliable diesel motors but due to the dangers of gathering new diesel it had reversed positions. It had been this was as long as I could remember. What diesel fuel we had was now saved for such emergencies when all able bodied men who were capable of wielding weapons would be needed on level Zero to prevent the others.

"So the rumours are true then," said Robbie.  
"The winged demons? Yeah seems so. Rae said their moving further inland now." I caught my breath. I was working hard on the bike but was still in a much smaller gear then Robbie who powered away effortlessly barely breaking a sweat.  
"Overheard a conversation between the elders yesterday at lessons. Seems Rae came here for a new partner."  
"What happened to the last one, Johnston wasn't it, from level 1? I heard he had prepared for a year straight to be a stalker."  
"Yeah he did," said Robbie as he looked straight into my eyes and gave me a long stare. "Lasted five days, got jumped by mutants I head. The elders say it happened on a recon of the salmon farms. Tore him to pieces they did, they didn't even bother killing him first, just held him down. They say he screamed right up till his heart was ripped from his chest."  
It didn't bother me hearing this, like many other things it had become the way. When a comrade leaves the security of the bunker he plays a game of dice like no other.  
A brief moment of silence passed between us, only the repetitious cranking of the heavy gears could be heard.  
"They say there's an opening on level two coming up." I heard Robbie whisper.  
I looked at him completely dumbstruck, we had waited almost our whole life's to move to the upper levels, it was pretty much all we had talked about for years. I could not believe he had not told me sooner. I was lost for words.  
"Who's going?" I said knowing full well it had to be one of us. We were the eldest on level 3 by at least two years.  
"Their having a meeting about it tonight, apparently the captain is going to look over our reports personally." My stomach sank at the news. Intellectually I had no doubt that I would come out on top against Robbie but that was not what they would be looking for. Muscle was much more important to work the great doors or cycle the main ventilation bikes which required even greater strength and endurance, and then there were the stalkers. I looked across at Robbie and his large six-foot three frame. I had often wondered why he hadn't been promoted sooner. He had all the characteristics of a great warrior, strength in abundance, incredibly determined and never questioned the elders' decisions ever; he was perfect.  
I on the other hand was not. Five foot ten, average in height but carried a small build, weak arms, poor stamina and naturally rebellious. We couldn't be more different.  
It suddenly dawned on me why he had not mentioned it sooner, we both knew who would get the position.  
Talk quieted down after that. We both fell into trance states just peddling endlessly staring at the pale-yellow concrete wall.  
_STOP-STRIP-SHAVE-PRAY _had long since been replaced with the cries of laughter and shouts of delight from the kids as they played Hide-And-Go-Kill down the black tunnel. It was one of the few games that never got old and was great also for the development of motion tracking in the dark. The object of the game was simple. A small group would hide in different locations down the black tunnel ready to pounce. The finder would come down shortly after and as quietly as possible not to give away his or her position but at the same time trying all the while to spot the Hiders and call them out before they had a chance to grab them. This created one of the most claustrophobic nerve-tingling sensations imaginable, and of course was great fun.

Night had apparently come and all went to bed, crammed in bunks or in sleeping bags atop wooden crates. Only a quarter of level three was female but even so they exclusively had the rights to the tents. It made sense to have some separation and privacy but it made many of the young lads jealous. The girls sleeping quarters had had to be moved some years earlier further down the corridor to prevent the hormonally charged male-teens from sneaking into their tents at night. I should say that I had been one of them, but I have no regrets.  
It had not been long into my night shift; I was leaning against a wall trying to read some withered old book using a wind-up torch with little to no success. I pointed the torch across from me towards the large white clock that hung above the closed off stairway, it read 01:15. I had told myself I would not look at it again. It was now 01:17.  
I had just begun to rest my eyes when I heard non-booted footsteps descend from above. Whoever was coming intended on coming unnoticed. My hand found the baseball bat that rested along my side, I quietly raised it up. I was to watch over and protect all those on my floor from savages, mutants the others and ourselves. A man can go crazy under the ground, it has happened before and it will likely happen again. You can never afford to be off guard, never.  
I heard the almost silent steps stop before the barrier door. I watched as the lock slowly turned and clicked into place. I stepped into the shadows my bat now arched over my shoulder. A bare foot stepped down onto the concrete.  
"Who goes there," I said forcefully but not too loud as to wake the others.  
"Is that you Josh? Its Rae, I would like to have a word with you."  
"Its I," I said with much relief, I lowered the bat slightly but was still on my game.  
He stepped around the corner and looked for me.  
"Why you not wear any socks or boots?" I inquired. I could not help but be sceptical.  
"Ah yes, well, you try wearing the same pair of socks and boots for three months straight, it's a bloody horrible thing lad, torturous." I refrained from laughing at the thought, there was little to enjoyment to be had in being a stalker.  
I lowered my bat and stepped out from the shadows. "You could have called for me earlier you know I could have got a replacement on the bike."  
"I did not know then what I do now." The way he spoke those words sent a tingle down my spine.  
"Come take a seat lad, we should talk." He pointed towards the shadows past the stair case where benches were used at meal times.  
I sat down opposite him and placed the torch in the centre angled towards the ceiling, millions of sprinklings of dead skin, dust; flickered in the light between us like a futuristic hologram you see in those old sci-fi comics and spoke of in even older books.  
"The captain made his decision, he picked Robbie." I leaned back breathing out deeply I could not withhold my disappointment, though I had been expecting it for so long.  
"Maybe you should go tell Robbie the good news." I aimed my bat towards the sleeping quarters with a mocking gesture.  
"The thing is boy Robbie will make a great doorman one day no doubt but its stalkers we really need and he hasn't got the brains for that."  
I laughed defiantly "All you need to know is how to use a gun and where to point it, anyone can do that, even Robbie."  
"Could anyone navigate across the wastelands without the aids of maps deciding upon instinct which abandoned building is safe to stop at and which one is crawling with savages or even mutants? No. Not many could do that and be composed all the while, but you I believe can and shall." I was so surprised I just stared at him with my mouth wide open like a fool. I'm sure he thought twice right then about what he had just said of me.  
I composed myself, "Even if I could be a stalker I've got to get promoted to the higher levels first and I've been overlooked every time. It seems you're the only one that thinks like this." I said despondently.  
"Is that what you really think boy? That you've been kept down here because you're not good enough, you couldn't be more wrong."  
He sat up and waited for me to answer but I didn't. There were anger lines now forming across his brow.  
"They've kept you down here so you can get the best possible education without the unnecessary and life threatening distractions. Keep you pure and as free from radiation as possible, for as long as possible. You're being groomed for captain you idiot."  
I thought I had been speechless before but now I knew that wasn't the case.  
"What." was about all I could manage.  
"The captains old and feels the radiation deep into his bones now, he doesn't trust his lieutenants especially Higgins and so has been searching for a successor for some time, he secretly chose you years back. Did it never occur to you how odd it was for the captain to come down here and personally give lessons just to you for months on end?"  
It hadn't occurred to me, I had been completely naive to it. I had never even asked any of my contemporaries if they too were getting private lessons. I was young back then and simply considered it the norm.  
"I don't want to be captain."  
"That's good cause you're not."  
"What?"  
The stalker paused for a moment as if deciding whether or not to carry on.  
"You heard the rumours? I'm in need of a new partner, I want it to be you. It needs to be you."  
The surprises just kept on coming.  
"Why?"  
"It's a long story but to tell it short, well." Rae moved closer into the light, he removed his cap exposing his shaved head. He had at least three days stubble across his face and large patches of grey could be seen sprouting amongst the blacks. "You know of the University?" I nodded frantically, it was a place of legend. The brightest minds of Scotland had made it there sealing themselves in, secure from the outside they had been working away ever since creating cures and all sorts. "Well there's a mission you see, top secret, only a few know of it, not even the captain can be told." My curiosity was now growing deeper by the minute.  
"And you need me?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"Cant say yet, in time."  
"Couldn't you take someone else? There are many who have been in training for months if not years to be a stalker, surely that would-"  
"- No. I can't trust them plus they'll never go through with it. Also their not as bright as you and I need someone with brains. If all goes well you could be back here within three months."  
I sat back trying to make sense of all I've heard.  
"It couldn't happen even if I wanted to go with you, I've had no training and if what you say is even true then there is no way the captain is going to let me leave on some crusade across the wasteland."  
Rae moved forward and was about to reply when a light flickered across us from down by the black tunnel. The stalker quickly covered the torch with his palm letting the darkness swallow us. We both watched on in silence as one of the boys doing the night shift on the bikes returned, his shift finished, he was trying to spot his replacement amongst the bunks. We waited until the boys had switched, neither of them noticed us in the far corner. Rae quietly resumed.  
"He's not to know, no one is you understand?" I nodded but not sure if I was nodding in agreement or disapproval.  
"There's no way they'll let me go."  
"That's why we'll sneak out in the middle of the night, the guards won't question a thing when they see it's just me and a fellow stalker all suited and booted. They wouldn't dare question my authority, I outrank them all."  
Everything was suddenly becoming very real.  
"I'm not sure if I can, I think I need to-"  
"-Think things over. That's fine boy, it's good, a wise thing." He smiled enthusiastically towards me and I could see with much detail for the first time where his many missing teeth had once been.  
"I expected you to say as much, so, tomorrow night I shall return. If you want to leave this prison and see what the surface looks like then be ready. If not, well..." he said as he scaled the stained walls with his sharp black eyes before returning to meet mine, a small all knowing smirk lit the corner of his face.  
I nodded and that was that. He silently removed himself from the benches and disappeared swiftly up the stairs. I locked the stairway door after him and leaned back against the wall.  
I would not sleep easy this morning.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

The Clan was what we called ourselves. A ragged bunch of survivors banded together through hopelessness and suffering, living out our existence deep within the humid levels of an old cold war bunker. We were the last of the known Lowland fort's not to be breached and now the only link the University had to its own survival.

"Josh wake up, savages!" Robbie had gripped the top of my sleeping bag and was giving it a good shaking, my head was rocking unwillingly in agreement.  
I opened my eyes and was greeted with a splitting headache, he was not joking; kids were running and disappearing from sight as they headed down the black tunnel to the far end. In slow pursuit were the most elderly and sickly amongst us who followed more calmly hand in hand.  
If we got breached and run over it would only delay the inevitable but it was the best we could do. Some of those that were heading down the tunnel were carrying medieval looking weapons and would make sure to protect the children at all costs.  
I was not paying much attention to Robbie as he threw an old bolt-action rifle my way. It seemed to be a Lee Enfield probably salvaged from one of Scotland's museums and given to him by one of the elderly civilians who were escaping the higher levels. As a bonus it came fitted with a bayonet which was of great relief as there was little ammunition to be found in the bunker that was not reserved specifically for the men defending the giant steel doors on Zero.  
I was up and clothed in seconds and running down the far end towards the stairway all the while avoiding the on-coming traffic. It was weird to see so many older faces down here, weirder too that even now I did not know them all.  
I got alongside Robbie who was getting orders from one of the lieutenants. He was a tall man, towering even over Robbie and was covered with tattoos all across his weathered face. He sported a bushy black beard and wore a thick military jacket that almost reached his knees. Before I had a chance to listen in he had saluted Robbie, turned his back to him and stormed up the stairs.  
Robbie turned to face me, his eyes were as wide as the base of a mushroom cap. "Were going up." He said yelling over the noise and commotion of the traffic drifting besides us.  
"Up where?" he wasn't making much sense.  
"Up-top to guard the stairway doors on Zero, shit Josh." My eyes too were now no-doubt just as wide. It would have been an honour to guard the stairway doors on level 2, but the main access to the stairway on Level Zero? Neither of us had ever been that high. But this could mean only one thing. The savages must be launching a full scale attack for us to be so short on men to defend the stairways.  
We started making our way up going through the doors on level 2 which were no longer guarded. We carried on through the next doors not stopping to look around this foreign floor. Things were becoming more silent the higher we climbed. We reached the doors at level 1 when a coloured man one of those that struggled to speak our language came hurdling down the stairs. I had seen him a few times in the past talking to the younglings on level 3 explaining the different races of the old world. His hair was like many individual ropes tied together which fell down his back almost reaching his waist. He always seemed calm and joyful but not this time.  
Blood painted the left half of his face and his right hand was broken badly, some fingers were even missing. He tried to protect his hand as best he could by raising it over his chest.  
"Don't let them in!" he yelled as he continued past us clumsily ricocheting of the stair walls.  
We carried on up. I took the clip out of the Lee Enfield as we ran, two bullets, I would have to make them count.  
Noticeably the lighting was darkening the higher we went. I always thought level 3 had it the worse as it was the deepest underground but I was badly mistaken. We came up the final flight of stairs to see two large white doors before us. One was half open, we entered. I stepped through after Robbie who was extremely twitchy as he held his pistol high in front of him.  
We stepped out into a tight corridor three men wide and no longer then fifteen metres in length. This opened up into a huge hexagon shaped complex with windowed rooms looking out from above over a vast central area; the old RAF command centre.  
Directly in front of us across the open arena were at least four separate groups, four to five men a piece who were taking cover behind turned over steel desks and cabinets that were clearly tactically positioned to cover a 90 degree angle in front of the giant three tonne blast doors which were slightly ajared. Positioned some metres behind them towards the centre of the clearing was an old anti-aircraft gun which shot large 50 calibre slugs. A small man with goggles sat atop a swivel chair in its cockpit with both his hands on levers moving the enormous double barrels left to right. It was our main form of defence. There were others, men and women all kitted in military outfits that were skirting the sidewalls bringing more ammunition and weapons to the front lines. Some stood ready with axes and even sledge hammers waiting to rush forward if all went terribly wrong. But this all happened in deathly silence, the atmosphere was prickly, everyone was on the edge waiting for the next attack.

A young man ran over from our right, I could hear the light rattle of the two submachine guns he carried over his shoulders. I didn't recognise him at first, it had been at least three years since he left level 3 and in that time his face had lost all its sheltered fat and was now deeply drawn, but his broken nose and lazy right eye gave him away. It was my old bunkmate Archy. He greeted me with a long smile which faded as sharply as it appeared. He embraced both of us but before either of us could get a word in he issued for silence with his fingers.  
He was speaking quickly and to the point, "They jumped one of our salvage patrols as they returned to base, none of our men survived." Robbie and I nodded along, "They took out our doorman, and we can't get someone up there without them having a clear shot at them to close the damn thing."  
I knew that to shut the reinforced steel doors required the manual turning of a star shaped wheel which was fixed to the left side of the door, next to the one that was slightly open. It was a slow and demanding process and was only ever attempted when it was deemed safe. The returning party would have likely used a form of Morse code through the damaged intercom system to signal it was safe to open the doors not knowing all the while that they were about to be jumped by savages who had watched and waited for their moment to strike.  
I looked back at the doors and now noticed a random spread of bald blooded bodies from them to the manned barriers. A few had even managed to make it past to the gunner but what remained could no longer easily be described as human.  
"Maybe they're all dead. We should give it another try." I whispered.  
"We just did, they took out one of our best medics with two throwing axes both to his chest. It's not safe now. We think their waiting to pick more of us off, or regrouping for another strike, so be prepared."  
"What do you want us to do?" spoke Robbie who was transfixed on the litter of blood, guts and flesh-chunks that carpeted the front of the ant-aircraft gun.  
"Stay down this corridor and guard those doors, don't let anything get past you, we could be here a while." He laughed at the thought. "Here take these, there fresh off level 1, the best." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of large white mushrooms, my mouth watered at the sight. We normally only got the smaller variety from level 2, this was a treat.  
We nodded gratefully and with that we departed heading back to the white doors as Archy sprinted of back to the front line.

Time slowed to a still, there was little to do but wait and watch.  
After a long period of stillness some activity was slowly underway from the right side of the blast doors. A few of the women were crawling along the floor into the dead zone rummaging for supplies of the corpses. They didn't appear to retrieve much as it is known that savages travel lightly at all times, the nomads of the wastelands.  
"We should try to get some more mushrooms." Whispered Robbie who was sat with his back pressed against the one white door that had been locked in place.  
"Maybe we can get some fish, they must have some up here." I replied. That perked his curiosity.  
"Fish, oh yes fish, fish indeed!" I had to smile, he would not settle now till he found some.

All the while we were talking the short skinny women kept hopping from corpse to corpse like vultures of the old world. One of them was trying to remove some shinny medallion from around a savage's neck; this one sported a black Mohawk.  
Robbie was back on his feet and pacing back and forth down the corridor.  
"You know I think I should go looking for some, who's going to feed us otherwise, they probably don't even know were down here."  
"Best not they'll have your head if-" A piercing cry broke me off, we both looked towards the blast proof doors. The supposedly dead savage with the Mohawk was up on his feet, his bleeding arm tightly gripped around the frail women's throat his free hand held a knife across it. He was mocking us with crazed shrieks and gurgling laughs all the while heading back slowly to the exit, his eyes never off the twenty or so guns all aimed directly at him. The old women seemed to be having a panic attack of sorts and had messed herself leaving a trail from where she had been jumped. Cries of anger and panic were shooting up amongst the men on the barriers calling for action for the order to shoot the savage down but the order did not come.  
The savage was shouting even louder now shaking his head left to right with his tongue hanging out. He was close to the opening. Suddenly one of our men leaped over one of the barricades to our left and approached the savage with long intentional strides. He held his pistol out in front of him just as Robbie had earlier. He was closing in rapidly. The savage had stopped laughing and appeared to be deciding his options. Just as the soldier was within distance to make an accurate shot the savage let out a war cry that sent the hairs standing up across my arms and neck. Madness erupted.  
From the opening poured an endless huddle of savages who hacked the soldier down before he had a chance to realise what was happening. The Mohawk seemed to be some sort of chief and was already leading them on as they overflowed the dead zone. The guns opened up. Everything became one ear piercing blur overwhelming the senses. No matter how many our guys shot more came through the crack. I remember glancing towards Robbie and saw the fear etched across his face when it was clear the barriers could no longer hold them back.  
Savages were leaping over the barriers and barricades wielding knifes and axes and did not slow in cutting our soldiers down, they seemed unstoppable. It was around this point that the man on the anti-aircraft gun had seen enough. The bright sparks of light sent my eyes for cover. Everything appeared in slow motion as heads and limbs exploded across the battlefield. I could see those that had been waiting along the sides with the crude looking weapons had taken to the fight, it was a scene I would never forget as men and women fought one another in a growing pool of blood in an ever intensifying red fog.  
Robbie was yelling something towards me but I could no longer focus, I watched in horror as I saw two savages cut down the Gunner from his side. They took his head clean off. The stock motion effect ended with that but now a new realisation had dawned on me, the two of them were heading straight towards me and Robbie, axes swinging they ran at full pelt.  
I jolted my rifle upwards and aimed down sight, my heart racing. Two bullets, _take your time_ I told myself.  
Before I knew it the first one was in front of me. I twitched and pulled the trigger, nothing. My heart slammed against my chest. I pulled again but knew as I did it was no use, the gun was jammed. I saw his face so clearly then; his eyes showed fear too but seemed to suggest an air of supremacy over me, as if he knew he was going to come out on top, I couldn't help but agree with him. His face though was pale, withered and overrun with bulging blue veins that spanned across the top of his bald scalp.  
I screamed and lunged forward bayonet first watching as his duel axes raised high above his head came crashing down, and then so suddenly two sharp flashes blinded me from my right. The body skirted across the floor stopping at my feet. I swayed looking to my right to see Robbie's pistol smoking; he had turned instantly to face the second savage who had arrived three seconds too late. He took him out with a sharp burst of fire to the upper chest knocking the madman back across the marble floor.  
What happened next was a pretty much a blur. All I can remember was picking up my rifle un-jamming it and joining Robbie's side as we pressed forward to support our comrades in the arena and take the fight to the enemy. It was madness as we fought with in hand's reach of the enemy in a growing pool of blood. At some point I lost my bayonet in the back of a crippled savage and remember also being on my knees feeling blindly for my weapon which had been knocked from my hands. I remember Archy saving me from a savage swinging a crowbar, he took his knee caps out and I finished him off with the butt of an ammo less shotgun I had found.  
At another point I was jumping over the fallen helping push back the savages into the dead zone with a fully auto submachine gun I had picked up on the move from some faceless soldier. There was screams of get down before the stock motion effect returned and humans were turning to shreds all around me, Robbie had climbed up into the anti-aircraft gun and was giving them hell. I hit the floor.

Some time later after lapses of sudden sleep from exhaustion I sat with my back against the sealed three tonne doors with a blooded submachine gun stuck between my shaking hands watching the clean up get underway. I did not envy any of those put forward to do such a gruesome job but it had to be done.  
I looked around me and found Robbie sitting on a barricade eating a large bowl of fish bits and mushrooms seemingly undisturbed by the horror show that had just taken place. I couldn't help but laugh. Rae was right, he would make a good doorman one day, probably the best we'll ever have.  
I went over and joined him helping him finish the fish. He made it quite clear he was doing just fine by himself.  
Time again became a blur. I remember being on guard by the reassembled barricade with those that had survived, stories were being told of their own heroic feats. Fast-forward sometime later and I had been asleep on a bench by a makeshift canteen but had been woken and served steaming mushroom soup and told it was my shift. This continued for some time sleeping, guarding and more sleeping. At some point in all this I had been taken upstairs through a secret passage to the large windowed rooms that arched out over the complex. The captain was sitting in a brown leather chair with his numerous advisors and lieutenants beside him behind the longest wooden desk I have ever seen. Robbie was sat in a chair beside me and was going through his version of the events. At the end of which all was silent waiting for the captain's response.  
"You were told to guard the stairway but you could not even manage that. Instead you both ran foolishly into battle not thinking of the likely consequences if you should fail, you were lucky, but nothing more." The captain spoke assertively but you could sense the rage he was trying hold back. He had aged considerably since I had last seen him some months ago. He had always been a thin man but now he looked sickly as the whites of his cheek and jaw bones seemed so sharp against his fleshless face. The rumours were obviously true of his cancer.  
"Josh is it true of what Robbie says that he stopped two from making the stairs to the lower levels?" this question came from a small lady with a shaved head and large silver spectacles that dominated her face. I nodded confirming this but quickly realised they were waiting for a verbal answer so replied with just "Yes, yes he did."  
Smiles shot across her and the other advisors faces, they all had a brief chat amongst themselves before she continued by clearing her throat.  
"Excellent, this is most excellent; you have proven yourself a worthy solider young Robbie of level 3. I t would be an honour if you would accept our request for you to be promoted to Level 1 and trained as a junior guardsman, we see an excellent career ahead of you." She smiled eagerly at Robbie. I looked over to him to find him staring at me shell shocked, we both broke out into uncontrollable laughter; it was all just too formal to take it seriously.  
Very quickly the realisation that no one else was laughing put an end to our sudden outburst. We both shuffled in our seats as Robbie tried to compose himself.  
"Very much so, I would like that very much."  
"Good." She replied somewhat sceptically. And that was the end of that. We were escorted from the room and temporarily bunked on level 2 to get a good night's sleep.  
Over the next few days' word of Robbie's heroics, that of saving my ass as well as all those on the lower levels quickly made the rounds. The part of him manning the huge anti-aircraft gun and turning the savages to slush particularly impressed the younglings on level 3. I would be constantly harassed as I made my way amongst them to change my clothes or get some sleep after another shift on Zero. Robbie was all they cared for; I wouldn't have been surprised if I saw a shrine had been erected in his honour.  
So it was four days had gone by before I thought of the night Rae had come to visit me. I had seen him many times since on Zero taking guard or watching from a far always chatting to some high-ranking other. He had apparently been one of the soldiers on the barricade that horrific night but I had not seen him.  
I was sitting on a stool by myself, my arm resting on a large machine gun that was fixed to a bipod on top of the barricade. I was staring at the bomb proof doors wondering if any savages still lay await on the other side when Rae came over from who knows where and sat down beside me. He was kitted out in full body armour and carried a helmet underneath his right arm. Only few of the soldiers had such protection and it was only for the most highest of rank.  
I greeted him with a hand shake and waited for him to speak.  
"We go in three days." He said it without a hint of doubt. "That is of course if you wish to come."  
I looked around to see if anyone was to near to overhear. It was just the two of us for tens of metres in all directions.  
"You think it's really a good idea right now? We are really short on soldiers." He didn't reply.  
"Besides I can't see going out there on some crazy errand being more important than staying right here and helping out."  
"Wake up boy, nothing has changed. If anything it's even more important that we leave now." He was getting angry again, beating his fingers over the helmets face.  
"What do you think happened here the other night? It was a full scale attack. That has never happened before. The savages have never been that determined nor have they ever been grouped so large. No something has changed, something has brought them here." I was starting to feel sick but I knew he spoke the truth of it.  
"Fear?"  
"Yes. They are afraid of something, something unknown to even us. This mission is more vital now than ever before, it is our only hope of survival." He stood up and looked me in the eyes.  
"Will you come?"  
My mind thought it all threw as quickly as I possible. I wanted to stay, I was needed and had a real chance of getting promoted due to the amount of casualties we had taken, but; I was being offered the chance of a life time to change the course of history, to help save our species from almost certain extinction.  
"Yes."  
"Then be ready, three nights from now. It's going to be tougher now to get out with the heightened security with everybody on red-alert and all, but we'll find a way." A small salute came my way.  
"Don't you fall asleep now soldier" He said almost mockingly turning on his heels before breaking into a jog.  
I slumped over my m60 machine gun and sighed to myself, was I doing the right thing? I could not be certain but I knew right then I could no longer go back to living my days out on Level 3. No, I must leave all doubt behind. I was to become a stalker and I had just days to be ready.


End file.
